Centre to conduct caste-based census, first since 1931

In a major decision on the eve of the Bihar Assembly election later this year, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday decided to conduct a caste-based census as part of the upcoming national census exercise.

This would be the first such census since 1931 although state-level caste surveys have been done lately.

Announcing the decision of the cabinet committee on political affairs, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the census is part of the central list as per the Constitution.

Pointing to certain caste-based surveys conducted by some state governments, primarily ruled by the opposition Congress, the minister said the caste surveys did not meaningfully represent or amount to cast-based enumeration.

He said that in order to maintain social harmony and conduct a comprehensive meaningful exercise as per the constitutional principles, the government has decided to make caste enumeration part of the next census exercise.

The minister did not take any questions on the modalities of the rollout of the census.

The timeline for the national census exercise is also unclear. The last census that was due in 2021 could not be conducted on account of the Covid-19 pandemic. After that, the government is yet to plan the rollout of the census exercise.

The minister while announcing the decision that is expected to have far-reaching consequences in Bihar, where the first caste-based survey was conducted when JDU leader Nitish Kumar was chief minister of the ruling Mahagathbandhan which also had the Congress and RJD as its part, said the Congress has always opposed the caste census.

India